From bloody album covers to cartoon shows and motivational speaking, Andrew W.K. throws himself headlong into as many experiences as he can handle. His 2001 debut, 'I Get Wet,' provided hard-rocking party anthems for revelers across the world, and the keyboard banger still launches intense music, behind a full band or as a solo pianist, to the airwaves. As he readied for the release of a new double album and the start of his next tour, which kicks off ahead of SXSW in New York on March 16, he conversed with Spinner about legends, wah-wah pedals and why humiliating yourself isn't such a bad thing.

Why do you use the name Andrew W.K.?

My last name is Wilkes-Krier. And, actually, I wasn't the first one to shorten it: That was my teachers, not only to make it easier to write but to differentiate me from all the other Andrews. When I was deciding on what to do, I wanted to be a solo act. And when I've loved a band I've loved the individuals within the band and the adventure that they were having. I wanted people to be able to identify with me and I just thought it was easier to do that when it was presented as one person.

So what got you started in music?

My parents asked me if I would like to take piano lessons, and I was about 4-1/2 years old, and we had just moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where [my dad] was teaching at the University of Michigan, and they have this program called the pedagogy program, which is graduate students in piano teaching young kids ... So you're getting taught by someone who's in the throes of their passion. The intensity of these teachers was so over the top that it just, it threw me into the depths of pure musical experience. I felt these waves of physical sensation during these classes, usually while one of the teachers was playing because they were so good, and I said there's something going on there, I mean it was like an orgasm, really!

While on a break as the guitarist for Afrobeat group Antibalas, Marquitos Garcia decided to experiment with his childhood Casio keyboards. From those explorations, a new sound (electro-Afrobeat/Afro-freestyle), a new moniker (Chico Mann) and a debut EP ('Manifest Tone Vol. 1') emerged. Since then, he's continued to experiment with Afrobeat, freestyle rhythms and electronic music. He took a moment to speak with Spinner about his music and SXSW.

Who is Chico Mann?

Chico Mann has become my alter ego. It was basically the name that I put to the aesthetic I work under. It's from that movie 'Wild Style.' It's a classic hip-hop movie; one of those early hip-hop cultural references.

How would you describe your music?

I call it Afro-freestyle and electro-Afrobeat. It's a new genre I'm trying to create. It's electro drum rhythms and freestyle drum rhythms, each informed by Afrobeat. It's an expression of uniquely American music in the sense that it has all these different elements hooked together in one stew. In that sense, it's also very urban, very Latin and very multicultural in that it draws from African and funk music.

Growing up on the outskirts of Nashville under the influence of her dad's rock 'n' roll and her mom's folk music, it's no wonder Sharon Van Etten became a musician. The musical influences were all around her, probably even in the tap water. Now based out of Brooklyn, New York, Spinner recently caught up with the 29-year-old singer-songwriter as she prepares to head to SXSW.

Describe your sound in your own words.

Folk. Really simple guitar. I try to focus on the melodies and try to make everything else minimal. The melody and the lyrics are most important to me.

How did your band form?

It's just me. I've been playing solo for the past five years.

What are your musical influences?

There's a wide range. From Joan Baez, Vashti Bunyan, Nick Baird and Diane Cluck to bands like She Keeps Bees. I think She Keeps Bees are amazing. They're definitely one of the top 10 live shows I've ever seen. They're great. Jessica Larrabee's voice is insane. I have a lot to learn from the way she performs live.

Have you ever played under a different name?

One day when I have a band I will have a band name, but since it's just me I feel it should just be my name. For me it doesn't make much sense since the music is from me and about me. I haven't ever been in a band.

Describe a typical day for you.

I have a day job Monday to Friday. I work at a record label in Brooklyn called Ba Da Bing. It's a great indie label and I listen to music all day. I meet people online and find out about the cool new music blogs. I try to go to as many shows as I can but they are a lot of shows going on around here. Part of my job is to do publicity so I have to know what's going on in town musically. There's so much here.

Six days and counting until SXSW 2010 Music Fest madness descends on Texas. At Spinner HQ, it's no sleep 'til Austin as we roll out hundreds more band interviews and plot last-second details of our Pop-Up Series and Soul Revue showcases. As you sketch out your SXSW schedule, take a look at more of our favorite band interviews -- from Copenhagen with love to the humble Isle of Staten.

Choir of Young Believers SXSW 2010 Interview
Choir of Young Believers, the pride of Copenhagen, is not a choir at all but rather the voice of one Jannis Maklingiannis.
Read more >>

Savoir Adore SXSW 2010 Interview
When Paul Hammer and Deidre Muro met at New York University, they never expected that their musical experiment would turn into a full-time gig.
Read more >>

Cymbals Eat Guitars SXSW 2010 Interview
While Brooklyn is seen as the focal point of New York indie music, Staten Island's own Cymbals Eat Guitars have gained some acclaim for their own borough.
Read more >>

The Jazzus Lizard SXSW 2010 Interview
If you couldn't guess from the band name, the Jazzus Lizard plays freestyle jazz based on the music of the Jesus Lizard.
Read more >>

Rival Schools SXSW 2010 Interview
Born out of the ashes of seminal post-hardcore band Quicksand, Rival Schools was formed by producer/songwriter/hardcore legend Walter Schreifels as an outlet to evolve his songwriting.
Read more >>

Artist: Garotas Suecas
Video: 'Bugalu'
Highlight: A stroll through town attracts a gang of followers, which leads to an impromptu dance party.

Hailing from Sherbrooke, Quebec, electro-pop trio La Patere Rose are already looking forward to starting pre-production work on their next studio album in August. The project will be the follow-up to their self-titled album which was described by some as a mix of Stereolab and Camera Obscura. La Patere Rose -- who played at Montreal's Osheaga Music and Arts Festival in 2008 -- will also be heading to France for some shows as well as appearing in various summer festivals following their appearance at SXSW. Spinner spoke with lead singer Fanny Grosjean (aka Fanny Bloom) about the group, the Pink Panther and her fear of Texas.

How did the band form?

Well, we were in school, in Quebec it's somewhere between high school and university (CEGEP). We started to play together because we knew each other. It's as simple as that. At first it was a little bit difficult because I didn't know the boys that well but they knew each other and so I had to find my place [in the band].

How would you describe your sound?

It's electro-pop rock and with catchy songs I think. It's a lot of things at the same time.

Jimmy Cliff already holds the Order of Merit, the highest honor bestowed by his native Jamaica, where the reggae legend stands alongside Bob Marley and Peter Tosh in the genre's Mt. Rushmore. Now, he deservedly follows Marley from the reggae world into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where he will be inducted by longtime admirer and friend Wyclef Jean.

The accolade comes at a perfect time for Cliff, who will release a new album, 'Existence,' this year and gets set for his first major US tour in five years, including dates at Bonnaroo and the Hollywood Bowl, this summer. On the eve of his induction, the elegant and gracious Cliff spoke with Spinner about his influence on the likes of the Grateful Dead and Keith Richards, the enduring impact of 'The Harder They Come' and about finally getting to the next level in the US.

Where were you when you found out you'd been selected?

When I first heard, I was in New York City. I had just finished a tribute to the president of Ghana, and after I came offstage somebody said, "Congratulations." I said, "Thank you. For what?" I thought he meant for my performance. But he said, "No, you've just been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." I said, "Oh." I had not heard anything.

You're only the second reggae artist, after Bob Marley, to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Do you feel like then you're carrying the torch for the genre with your induction?

The way I look at it, in the genre of reggae music I was there at almost the commencement of it, so I played my role there. Bob Marley came after, so I did a lot of things internationally before anyone else. So I've always seen my role as one of like a shepherd, one who opens the gate. So who opens the gate has to close it.